Once upon a time, I worked in Yellowstone—at the Old Faithful Inn Gift Shop, where I spent part of each day restoring the great wall of postcards. These days, the postcard wall is smaller, which makes meYo sad. Postcards are more than souvenirs. They’re a way of looking at the small stuff, of noticing and sharing why a place matters.
With that, a postcard from Yellowstone: Bobby Socks Trees
Hi there! These are Bobby Socks trees. You might find them on the fringes of some of Yellowstone’s thermal areas. Sometimes you’ll see just a few, but often there are whole stands of them–all dead, their bases ringed with white. Obviously, they were once hardy and thriving, but as happens in Yellowstone and in life, conditions change. In the case of these pines, their roots began bringing up mineral-laden water that clogged the transport system and killed the trees. They’re striking—and a good reminder that the water we swim in matters. Unlike these lodgepoles, we aren’t stuck. From moving to finding a good filter–we have options.
happy trails ~ Natalie🥾
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Learn more about Bobby Socks trees from the National Park Service here. Yellowstone National Park stories